Your first weeks in China are not just an exercise in cultural adjustment. You must register, move in, set up communications and payments, complete university formalities and somehow begin your classes at the same time.
Rules vary by city and campus. Treat these points as questions to ask, not universal claims about an entire country.
1. Registration matters more than unpacking
Foreign nationals must comply with local accommodation-registration rules and immigration deadlines after arrival. A hotel normally registers its guests, while the procedure for a flat or residence hall depends on local arrangements and the university.
Ask the international student office immediately:
- who completes accommodation registration;
- when to take the medical examination;
- how to obtain or update your residence permit;
- which original documents to bring.
Do not leave these tasks until classes begin.
2. Public toilets vary
Squat toilets are common, and paper or soap is not available everywhere. Carry tissues and hand sanitiser.
Ignore sweeping advice that toilet paper must never be flushed. Plumbing differs. Read the signs and follow the instructions in the specific building.
3. Look in every direction on the road
Electric bicycles and scooters can be quiet and may approach from a direction you did not expect. A green pedestrian signal is not a substitute for checking turning traffic and cycle lanes.
Use crossings, keep your phone away from the road and do not copy risky behaviour simply because someone else appears comfortable doing it.
4. Attention towards foreigners depends on the city
International visitors are unremarkable in Beijing, Shanghai and popular student districts. In less tourist-oriented places, people may stare or ask for a photograph.
You do not have to agree. “不好意思，不方便” is a polite refusal. Curiosity is not necessarily hostility, but your boundaries still matter.
5. Tones create funny and awkward mistakes
水饺 (shuǐjiǎo, dumplings) and 睡觉 (shuìjiào, to sleep), or 糖 (táng, sugar) and 汤 (tāng, soup), show how a tone changes meaning.
Context often rescues real conversations, so do not let mistakes stop you speaking. If you are not understood, show the word on your screen, rephrase it or use a translation tool.
6. The canteen needs its own strategy
Campus canteens are normally cheaper than restaurants, but prices and opening hours vary. During your first days, find out:
- how meals are paid for;
- when breakfast and dinner service end;
- how halal, vegetarian and allergen information is marked;
- whether an overseas bank card can top up the campus card.
A photograph of a dish and “这个是什么?” will often get you further than a long translated menu.
7. There is no single standard for residence halls
A room may be private or shared, with an en-suite bathroom or shared facilities. Hot water, air conditioning, heating, kitchens, laundry and visitor rules depend on the building.
Before paying, ask for:
- photographs of the exact room type;
- a complete list of charges and deposits;
- the procedure for arriving at night;
- access hours and guest-registration rules;
- what you need to bring or buy.
Schedules change. Do not turn one residence hall’s old hot-water hours or curfew into a rule for all of China.
8. WeChat is essential, but not the only channel
Group chats, notices, mini-programmes and many payments run through WeChat. Install it before travelling and save your university contacts.
Official email, the student portal and paper documents still matter. A message in a group chat is not the final authority on your visa, grade or scholarship.
9. Mobile payments can work without a Chinese account, but not for everything
Alipay and WeChat Pay allow many international users to link an overseas card after identity verification. Some features, large payments, person-to-person transfers and mini-programmes may still require a Chinese bank account.
Cash remains legal tender. Carry a modest amount and a physical bank card, particularly during the first days. Prepare more than one payment method and tell your bank that you are travelling.
10. Internet access works differently
Access to overseas sites and applications in mainland China is restricted and changes over time. Some familiar services may be unavailable, while certain global platforms have no official presence in the Chinese market.
Before flying:
- save your documents, tickets and campus address offline;
- install the applications recommended by the university;
- prepare a backup way to contact family;
- read local laws and campus rules.
Do not build your arrival plan around a VPN review promising “98% uptime.” Such figures date quickly and rarely have a transparent method behind them.
11. Feeling safe does not remove ordinary risks
Many students describe feeling comfortable in Chinese cities, but claims that violent crime is virtually nonexistent are too absolute.
Use normal precautions: protect your phone and passport, use recognised transport services, never share verification codes and report travel to the university where its rules require it.
12. Friendship does not appear automatically
Chinese and international students may be welcoming, but different schedules and a language barrier can still become isolating.
Regular points of contact work best: a sports club, student society, laboratory, volunteering or a language exchange. A weekly activity creates more genuine connection than waiting for a chance encounter.
13. Teaching style depends on the department
Chinese universities include exam-heavy lecture courses and project seminars built around discussion. There is no universal rule that questions are forbidden during class or that attendance always has the same threshold.
During the first week, confirm:
- how the final grade is calculated;
- the attendance policy;
- rules on AI tools and sources;
- resit arrangements;
- where assignments and notices are published.
14. Homesickness does not follow a timetable
There is no reliable universal percentage of students who become homesick in their first week, and nobody can promise it will disappear after three or four weeks.
Sleep, exercise, familiar food, regular contact with people at home and new routines can help. If anxiety, insomnia or low mood begins to interfere with study, contact student support, the international office or a healthcare professional.
Before-you-fly checklist
- Save the campus address in Chinese and the contact details of the responsible staff member.
- Check your passport validity, visa and original documents.
- Confirm accommodation registration, medical checks and residence-permit steps.
- Install WeChat, Alipay and the university’s applications.
- Prepare an overseas card, some cash and a backup payment method.
- Carry documentation for medication and check import restrictions.
- Confirm residence-hall conditions and arrival times.
- Keep course materials and important files available offline.
- Check your insurance coverage.
- Leave your itinerary and university contacts with family.
Bottom line
The first semester becomes far easier when the administrative essentials are handled early. Confirm local procedures, arrive with backup payment and communication methods, and give yourself repeated opportunities to meet people rather than expecting instant confidence.
For the steps before arrival, see our guides to the X1 and X2 student visas and planning a study budget in China.
